The Department of Health and Children assembled a biobank subgroup of the Health Research Group in May 2010. This body, chaired by Enda Connolly (CEO, Health Research Board), is charged with the implementation and funding of a National Biobank. This initiative is not for cancer alone, and is to support biobanking for all diseases, in contrast to Minister Harney’s previous Expert Group, which was to develop a National Cancer Biobank. It is a further step towards the funding of biobanking by the Irish government. First indications are that it will focus on providing biobanking costs of sample collection and storage for grant-funded projects. Support for building a large sample resource for future projects including academic-industry partnerships is not under active consideration, although this is regarded as essential by Biobank Ireland and all other national biobank networks. No budget has been mentioned. Meetings continue.
Also, in 2010, Biobank Ireland Trust was awarded a €31,000 grant from the National Lottery.